Antennas are generally used to transform electrical power into a radiated wave, and vice-versa. There are numerous types of antennas that are currently available that may be selected based on the specific application. For example, a broadband antenna may be distinguished by its relatively wide bandwidth, thereby making the broadband antenna highly desirable for certain types of applications. In general, a broadband antenna provides at least about 100% impedance bandwidth, and operates over a frequency greater than about twenty-five percent of its center operating frequency.
Although broadband antennas have numerous advantages, it may be challenging to produce a low-cost broadband antenna that has specific performance characteristics required for a particular application. Some examples of antenna performance characteristics include, but are not limited to, impedance bandwidth, electrical size, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) at a specific frequency, gain patterns, aerodynamic qualities, and packaging constraints. In particular, it may be especially challenging to produce a broadband antenna that has a relatively high impedance bandwidth that is electrically small in size, and that is also relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Thus, there exists a continuing need in the art for a cost-effective broadband antenna that is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce.